The 5 Fastest Shrinking Jobs

The 5 Fastest Shrinking JobsThe 5 Fastest Shrinking JobsIf you are just starting out or looking to make a career change, it is probably best to avoid industries that appear to be on the decline. This is especially true for positions that require an investment of time and money, either for further education or specialty training. Unless a position is really your dream career it isnt going to make long-term sense to dive into a dying industry. Below, we outline five of the fastest shrinking jobs in the United States. Its still possible to get work in behauptung fields, of course, but you may find that other careers are far more promising.Postal WorkersSnail mail? Who uses snail mail? Just kidding though youve probably noticed the increased dependency on technology when it comes to staying in contact with loved ones, paying bills and shopping. It is fast, convenient, and efficient to automate bill payments, utilize electronic statements, and have your purchases shipped to you.Not surpr isingly, the Bureau of Labor Statistics claims that postal jobs are on the decline. More specifically, postal service worker positions will be cut by about 48 percent by the year 2020, and postmaster jobs will decline by nearly 28 percent. However, while mailing letters and documents are on the decline, package delivery is a booming industry. Postal workers will still be needed, but perhaps their roles will change. It is still a career option for those who like to have an active, all-weather job.Farmers and RanchersAccording to the American Farmland Trust, most states 34 of them had a reduction in available farmland, and the overall number of acres of farmland had a two-percent nationwide drop. The reason for this is the rise of factory farms consolidating traditional family farms under one umbrella, while the productivity of farming operations has increased. That means fewer farmers and ranchers are needed there are fewer jobs, due to technological improvements. But the good new s is that there will still be some need for a new generation of farmers as the current ones retire in addition, there are opportunities for small farmers to join the expanding organic and buy local movements. If youre passionate about agriculture, you might have a better chance in this industry if you are willing to keep up with the latest farming technologies and get a 2- or 4-year degree in this field. And, of course, if you like an active job that lets you enjoy the great outdoors, many farms are still hiring hard workersTravel AgentsAh, the wonders of technology Thanks to the internet, everyone can now be their own travel agent with online travel booking sites (there are so many), it is relatively easy to plan a trip on your own. These websites help people to compare prices and book vacation packages with the discounts that used to only be available to the pros. According to Forbes, the industry is expecting a 12% decline in available jobs between now and 2026. However, savvy tr avel agents are rebranding themselves as travel advisors, or travel experts that can plan trips down to the tiniest detail saving their clients wasted time, money, and frustration. So, while the profession continues to shrink, there are some niche areas that will probably continue to utilize professional travel agents (such as corporations, student travel, retirees or luxury travelers, etc.)Data Entry WorkersAccording to CNBC, by 2026, data entry positions will decline by about 21 percent. This is another casualty of technology since software programs can now do the job of the typical data entry worker. Similarly, typists are not relied on as much because the majority of people have their own computers, and can enter their own data. If you want to work in these schrifts of positions, you are advised to have a few different skills that make you more valuable to employers. This means you should combine data entry, proofreading, editing, and telephone skills so you can apply for more advanced positions.Foundry Mold and Core MakersFoundry mold and core makers create the molds used to produce metal castings. Automation is making this job obsolete by 2026, CNBC projects a 24 percent overall job loss in the field. Besides automation, many manufacturers have offshored production, taking advantage of cheaper labor markets overseas. Due to low demand, it may be wise to avoid this type of position or begin honing skills to move into another labor market, if you currently work in the industry.If youre just starting your adult career path, consider carefully the time and monetary investments in the skills and education you need for your desired position. Avoiding the fastest shrinking jobs may help you enjoy a more secure financial future Your time might be better spent researching jobs/careers with stable or higher expected growth rates (such as healthcare). You can search for them all at Simply Hired

How to Dig Beneath the Surface in Your Candidate Interviews

How to Dig Beneath the Surface in Your Candidate InterviewsHow to Dig Beneath the Surface in Your Candidate InterviewsHow to Dig Beneath the Surface in Your Candidate Interviews HerrenkohlWhat are the most important interviewquestions to ask candidates? Good follow-upinterview questions ensure that the candidate, not the interviewer, is talking.They take the pressure off of you to create 100 insightful interview questions a handful or even oneinterview question will do. They help the interviewer uncover the real story of a candidates experience and accomplishments.After every question that you ask in an interview, follow up with questions such asWhy so?Interesting. Please tell me mora.What made that important to you?How did you go about accomplishing that?What were the most important steps you took to make that happen?Here are three examples of how your interviewing will improve with better follow-up programs.1.A job candidates response is his or her programmed response.The second re sponse is the real answer. As Dr. Kurt Einstein, the noted psychologist and expert on interviewing pointed out, the first response that a job candidate gives to your interview question is rehearsed. Rehearsed answers do not give you much insight into the candidate. The follow-up question digs beneath the surface. As a result, candidates tell you their real story.2.Typically, details indicate truth telling. Most people can tell you the details about things that they really did or accomplished. They talk in vague generalities about accomplishments that they are embellishing or making up. By asking follow-up questions that require more detailed explanations, you get better information about how much a candidate has really accomplished.3.Find out if the candidate can reproduce her accomplishments for your company. Assume a sales person tells you that she took the worst territory of her former employer and turned it into the best territory in the company in 18 months. What is the most im portant question to ask her?Can you please tell me, step by step and in as much detail as possible, exactly how you did that?In order to accomplish the same kind of turn-around for your company, thissalesperson must know the steps she took to turn this sales territory around. Shewill be able to tell you the specific steps she took and why those steps were important. Asking the right follow-up questions unearths this information.Hiring Takeaway Get better at asking follow-up questions. It will improve your recruitment process and increase your effectiveness as an interviewer. Many interviewers talk too much too early in the interview process. Particularly in a first interview, you should talk as little as possible. The only way for you to assess a candidates strengths or weaknesses is by hearing their responses to your questions. When you are doing most the talking during the interview process, it is the candidate who is assessing youThe best way to ensure that the candidate, not you , does most of the talking is to ask at least one and likely two or three follow up questions for every initial question that you ask. This means askingWhat did you like most about your last job? followed byInteresting, tell me more about that? and thenYou say you didnt like project management. Why so?If you follow this approach, you make sure that the candidate speaks, not you. You get great information to help inform your hiring decision.Interviewing is hard work. Make sure to ask good follow up questions during an interview. You will immediately increase the amount of valuable information that you get out of the process. As a result, there will be less stress for you, a more effective interview process, and a better hiring and candidate selection.Author BioEric Herrenkohl is the founder and president of Herrenkohl Consulting, a firm that helps clients build great sales teams. He is the author of the book, How to Hire A-Players (John Wiley Sons, April 2010.) To receive his free e -letter, subscribe at herrenkohlconsulting.

Nearshore IT Outsourcing

Nearshore IT OutsourcingNearshore IT OutsourcingIn recent years, it has become less and less necessary for companies to have all their employees under one roof. Some alternatives for IT jobs include offshore outsourcing, assigning employees to work from home, insourcing, and nearshore IT outsourcing, also called nearshoring. Nearshoring involves sending information technology work to a foreign country that is relatively close to the home base of the company outsourcing the work. Reasons to Nearshore IT Services Companies may decide to nearshore some of their IT work because they want to cut costs, and nearshoring enables this by sending work to anotlageher country where workers will generally be paid lower wages. Unlike offshore IT outsourcing, which involves sending IT workers to an overseas location that is much further away (e.g., work from U.S. companies being sent to India), nearshoring (e.g., sending work from the U.S. to Canada) offers the following benefits fewer time zon e differencesgeographical proximitymore cultural and/or language similarities These conditions may be crucial to a company that is outsourcing a complex IT project and requires a lot of ongoing communication between its internal kollektiv and the nearshore team it is working with, or frequent travel to the nearshore destination. Usually, workers in nearshore companies will be more highly trained than those in the ubiquitous sourcing companies in places like India, China, and Malaysia. Its also more likely that the workers will be awake and alert if they arent being made to work in the middle of the night to fit another countrys hours of business. Examples of Popular Nearshore Locations U.S. companies have been known to nearshore IT work to Canada as well as Mexico and other Latin American countries. Similarly, companies in Western Europe may choose to nearshore work to Eastern European countries such as Ukraine or Bulgaria. When It Is Not a Good Idea to Nearshore Any company considering nearshore outsourcing should first spend some time weighing the logistics, as in the long run, it may not always be cheaper to nearshore. Especially if the nearshore company is in a developed country, the costs of hiring the workers may not be significantly lower. There may be time costs to consider will the nearshore company operate independently, or will in-house company employees need to pitch in and provide guidance and resources? Will travel between the locations be required, and if so, how often? Its much easier for project confusion to happen when the boss and workers are on different sides of a border. Due to this, neither offshoring nor nearshoring is typically a good idea for complicated projects or tasks that need a great deal of direction and oversight from the hiring company. Its better reserved for simpler day-to-day operations like developing, help desks, analytics, etc. Conclusion Nearshoring can certainly be of benefit to companies, as long as its u sed wisely. It can allow them to take on more work, assigning their in-house team the important projects while getting a cheaper deal on more tedious tasks. Its definitely a leg up on full-scale offshoring, which almost always comes with the sacrifice of quality. When choosing a nearshore location, companies should research the countrys laws, the level of intellectual property security, and the nearshore companys level of employee training.

Prep with These Top Job Interview Apps

Prep with These Top Job Interview Apps Prep with These Top Job Interview Apps Interviews make a lot of people nervous. Luckily, there are a number of interview apps that can help prepare you for your big day. Here, well a couple of our favorites.Monster.com InterviewsFree3 out 4 starsOverview Monster.com Interviews, available for iPhone and iPad, guides you through the interview process with expert advice, reminders about the interview, and a guide that helps you to follow up successfully after interviews.Pros A few of the best features include suggestions about how to research companies youre interviewing with, likely interview questions, and brain exercises for interview prep.Cons Some users complain of a bug that crashes the app. If ansicht bugs were fixed, the app would be flawless, according to usersCharlie AppFree, with upgraded featuring ranging from $4.99 to $19.994 out of 4 starsOverview When going into interviews, you want to have information on the company and the employer s youre meeting with so you know how to impress them. Charlie App searches hundreds of sources on the company and your hiring committee, and then sends you a one-page summary to review.Pros The app finds individuals and companies hobbies, talking points, and passions on social media. It also searches for life achievements and newsworthy moments. Youll have plenty of things to talk about, related specifically to the company. Cons If the company or individual isnt active on social media or in the news, the Charlie app doesnt have sources from which to draw information. This means you could be left without much reliable data.Want more ways to prepare? Weve got 10 tried-and-true interview techniques that can help you save yourself from awkward silence. And want to make sure youre getting interviews in the first place? Our Jobscan resume optimization tool is the best way to match your resume to the keywords a company is looking for. Try it out for free.

The Little-Known Secrets to Business Resume Example

The Little-Known Secrets to geschftlicher umgang Resume Example If youre writing a resume for a particular job, set the employers job description at the peak of the list and utilize it to target the specifics youll include in that resume. Of course, when you commence listing skills that arent really related to your job, we doubt youll receive a callback, so think carefully before you list any skill For example, if you have an important employment gap since your final position, you can want to use a functional resume rather than a chronological one. Bear in mind, your possible employer might need to call previous job managers for references. If you have some concerns about your age then you are able to leave off graduation dates. Everyone knows that when hunting for work, the very first task you will need to complete for a possible employer is, Send a copy of your resume. Where to Find Business Resume Example Samples of good acting resumes are available online. Its fast and simple to use. Our resume examples can make certain youre prepared in the event you receive a referral. Notice how the example resumes are extremely specific when it has to do with technical skills. What follows is an extensive selection of professional resume samples for jobs in numerous industries. The area of business is huge and theres an amazing selection of positions offered in it. You might believe you dont have any demand for a resume as a self-employed small business operator, but this isnt always true. To compose a resume for the little business owner it is possible to decide the format that you want to use. In case the business is profitable, the operator may sell it for money. Success in a little business is dependent on knowing what the customer wants and making the element or service easily available at a sensible price. Look over your strength, then ask yourself, which company need my strength and search for the business. Customer service is an important elem ent in many jobs and its imperative that you concentrate on that in your resume. The Honest to Goodness Truth on Business Resume Example Our team will lessen your effort and supply relevant samples in the quickest possible moment. If your resume is not correctly crafted, your chances of receiving an interview are dramatically reduced. Ladders best resume schablones are certain to provide you an advantage in your job search. If youre seeking to customize professional, pre-formatted resumes, take a look at our absolutely free downloadable templates. To begin with, templates have to be comprehensive. Utilizing a resume template is now an acceptable and smart practice for quite a few reasons.You are able to use our resume building software to produce your own from scratch. Please get in touch with us if you would like us to add sample resumes for any particular category or whether you want to submit an example for certain category. Utilizing a template, you fully grasp the upgrade will constantly have the precise same formatting, design, and arrangement. Ruthless Business Resume Example Strategies Exploited Our resume builder is the quickest approach to create a resume that will allow you to get your fantasy job. Theres no doubt that a resume which is both cohesive and professional will have a much better probability of standing from the crowd even supposing its made utilizing a template. Checking out suitable examples about how to compose a resume is the very best method to acquire the understanding of how to put one together. Understanding how to tailor your resume will obviously offer you an advantage.

International Womens Day 2018

International Womens Day 2018 International Womens Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Were using this day to celebrate women in tech whove made great strides to conquer gender parity and forge technology thats changed the way we live our lives today. bit.ly/2Hju8k1 One of the biggest challenges in alfruchtwein all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the la st time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot mora to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to b etter business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative natur e of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next platzset of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of worke rs in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.

How to Develop Professionally in Companies Without Formal Programs

How to Develop Professionally in Companies Without Formal Programs How to Develop Professionally in Companies Without Formal Programs Regardless of whether or bedrngnis an employer provides a formal employee development program, every individual is responsible for their professional advancement. Your organization might not have the budget to send you to conferences or pay for certification tests, but that does not mean you can afford to ignore development altogether.Here are a few tips to help you advance your skills and career, even when you dont have access to formal training programs.Make a PlanIf youre taking professional development into your own hands, you must have a plan. Start by creating a road map as if you were required to fulfill a development plan. In addition to goals, checkpoints, and action items, your plan should include buy-in from your boss, if possible.Once youve created a plan, make sure to hold yourself accountable It can be easy to dismiss deadlines if you d ont have a supervisorin looking over your shoulder, but completing your development goals on time will keep you focused on advancement. If you need some help staying accountable, share your plan with others. Youll be more likely to stick to your career road map if your boss and/or coworkers know youve set a deadline for yourself.Ask for Stretch AssignmentsIf youve received support from your boss concerning your professional development plan, request challenging assignments that are outside of your comfort zone and normal duties. Taking on new projects shows your initiative and willingness to learn, which are attributes companies look for in their team members.Stretch goals are not something to be afraid of. These assignments will be difficult and will challenge you professionally, but not succeeding on a stretch assignment the first time does not mean that you have failed. Instead, itmeans that you have learned the skills you need to develop in order to succeed the next time around. Identify a MentorA good way to figure out where you want to go in your career is to identify a person in a similar role who is doing what you want to do, is respected in a way you want to be respected, or holds a position you want to have in the next few years. Once you find that person, you have two options study them so that you can learn from their habits and interactions, or try to establish a mentor relationship with them.What youll likely find is that your mentor (or role model) not only excels at their own job but also fully understands how their job relates to other jobs within the company. When you know the ripple effects of your job, it helps you make better choices. Understanding how your work impacts others will make you more mindful of other peoples time and responsibilities.Join a Professional OrganizationAnother way to refine your skills is to join a professional organization within your field. Such organizations are helpful because they often provide training compone nts that you might not be able to find at your current company.If you feel underqualified for a training session, go anyway. Attending developmental sessions that you think are slightly above your knowledge level is beneficial. One of the biggest blind spots for young professionals is that they dont know what they dont even know By joining a professional organization, you will learn things that you might not come across in your current role but will prove helpful in the future.Creating your own professional development plan in a company without formal development opportunitiescan be daunting. However, if you want to impress decision-makers at your company and propel your career forward, self-improvement beyond your daily tasks is necessary. If you start with a plan, find a mentor, ask for challenging projects, and join a professional organization, youll collect new skills that will be beneficial to your career in both the near and far futuresMeghann Isgan is the team success manager at Readers.com.

The best advice youll ever hear on personal growth from a true champion

The best advice youll ever hear on personal growth from a true championThe best advice youll ever hear on personal growth from a true championSunday night, hundreds of millions of people watched an underdog seize center stage and deliver a Super Bowl championship to a long-deprived fan base. The game on the field was scintillating and one of the best Super Bowls of all time. The words spoken off the field by the Super Bowl MVP are what will resonate forever with those of us who look to grow and rebound from failure.Ive learned through playing college sports, coaching high school sports and competing each day in the corporate world that losing gets a truly bad rap. While none of us try to lose, we all end up losing at some point. In ur jobs, relationships and personal ventures we all experience failure. Its unavoidable. Yet look all around you?- ?who ever salutes a loser?Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction , Neuroscience, and moreOf course, its a winners world and the winners are lauded, celebrated and honored for all time. Winning is the name of the game and it should be our broad end-goal whether were an entrepreneur, football player or aspiring executive. What most people are afraid to share or unwilling to divulge is that the way to become a winner is first to lose. To fail. To make mistakes.But always- to KEEP GOING.Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles understands this better than anyone.You see, Nick Foles was traded less than three years ago by the franchise that just won its first Super Bowl, thanks to his greatness. He landed in St. Louis where had had a relatively mediocre season, then ultimately asked to be released. After a brief stop in Kansas City for one season, Foles returned to Philadelphia to be a backup quarterback.For most of this season, Foles served as the back-up to one of the leagues bright young stars?- ?Carson Wentz. It wasnt until Wentz went down with a terrible knee injury that Foles got his option again. He certainly made the most of it. Now, on top of the world, Foles chose to reflect upon his path to stardom over the past several years.He realized that no one takes the easy path to success. We all lose before we win. Learning from failures is what winning is all about. Theres no easy route to becoming a bestselling author. Theres no high-speed elevator straight to the CEOs chair. And no one is going to hand you millions of dollars of seed money unless you have a bulletproof business plan that will help benefit you and your investors.Learn from Nick Foles. Failing isI think the big thing is dont be afraid to fail, Foles said. I think in our society today, Instagram, Twitter, its a highlight reel. Its all the good things. And then when you look at it, when you think like, wow, when you have a rough day, My lifes not as good as that, (you think) youre failing.Failure is a part of life. Its a part of building character and growing. Without failu re, who would you be? I wouldnt be up here if I hadnt fallen thousands of times. Made mistakes.We all are human, we all have weaknesses, and I think throughout this, (its been important) to be able to share that and be transparent. I know when I listen to people speak and they share their weaknesses, Im listening. Because (it) resonates.So Im not perfect. Im not Superman. I might be in the NFL, I might have just won a Super Bowl, but, hey, we still have daily struggles, I still have daily struggles. And thats where my faith comes in, thats where my family comes in.I think when you look at a struggle in your life, just know thats just an opportunity for your character to grow. And thats just been the message. Simple. If somethings going on in your life and youre struggling? Embrace it. Because youre growing.Source NBC SportsYou are a Winner. KeepGoing.The Value of You e-book is available for a limited time for just $2.99Order the e-book HEREJoin my newsletterif youd like,Follow my Fa cebook Pageand join me on your journey. Lets GOThis article first appeared on Medium.

The Best Jobs for 2018 and What That Means for College Students

The Best Jobs for 2018 and What That Means for College StudentsThe Best Jobs for 2018 and What That Means for College StudentsThe Best Jobs for 2018 and What That Means for College StudentsPrepare for your future by pursuing one of behauptung top jobs.What if you could predict the future? When it comes to the job market, you might be able to do just that. By looking at research, trends, and technology, its possible to make strong educated guesses about which jobs are going to be the most in demand (and the highest paying) in the next 10 to 20 years.Todays college students and recent high school grads are in a unique position to take advantage of these predictions. While money certainly isnt everything in a career, it is becoming an increasingly important consideration for todays students. College is mora expensive than ever before, which means getting a degree today is mora of an investment than it used to be. Many students are making calculations when they consider which degrees are most likely to land them jobs, earn them money, and help them repay those sizable college loans.In this landscape, its important for students to know which jobs are the safest bets and what skills theyll need to compete in those employment markets. Below, weve leveraged U.S. News World Reports list of 2018s Best Jobs to create a guide to the fields savvy students might want to consider pursuing.Software DeveloperThe reasoning At a time when many jobs of the past are being replaced by robots, automated systems, and software, it makes sense to pursue the job at the top of the food chain. That job right now is software developer, which is ranked at the very top of the U.S. News World Report list of 2018s Best Jobs. Between 2016 and 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this field to grow by more than a quarter-million jobs. The demand will lead to high salaries (the median is just over $100,000 per year) and extremely low unemployment rates.The education Most software de velopers have bachelors degrees in computer science, software engineering, or similar majors. While some employers may prefer to see masters degrees in these fields, extra schooling is rarely necessary.Conclusion A good software developer can work anywhere these days. From getting a job with a departureup to working with a major corporate enterprise, or even starting your own business, there are opportunities in virtually every industry and every geographic market you can think of. The pay isnt bad either, and the educational time investment is relatively low.DentistThe reasoning Dentistry is one of those fields that is always going to offer ample job opportunities, simply because the need for good dental health is never going to disappear. In fact, the field is growing, spurred by the increasing popularity of cosmetic dental treatments like teeth whitening and reshaping. The extra demand means dentists enjoy one of the highest median salaries of any field, just shy of $154,000 per year.The education Of course, becoming a dentist involves a considerable amount of education. Students must complete an undergraduate degree, usually in pre-dentistry or a science-related field, though there is no specific requirement. Then comes the Dental Acceptance Test (DAT) and getting into dental school, which is a highly competitive process. Students then complete four additional years of education at dental school followed by a pair of examinations to become licensed.Conclusion Becoming a dentist is not for the faint of heart. The road to licensure and employment is long, expensive, and challenging. The prize at the end of that road, though, is a high-paying job with lots of stability, flexibility, and work-life balance. The work itself is rewarding and fulfilling with the creation of positive, trusting relationships between dentists and their patients.Physician AssistantThe reasoning Most students who pursue medicine envision themselves being physicians, but becoming a phys ician assistant might be the better option. While the median salary of $101,480 per year is not quite as appealing as what a physician makes (median salary $196,000), there are a few major perks. Namely, physician assistants work in almost identical capacities as regular physicians, but they dont need anywhere near as much schooling.The education Physician assistants go through a 26-month accredited physician assistant program after their undergraduate education. They must then go through a certification exam to obtain licensure before they can start practicing. Compared to what physicians must do at least four years of medical school followed by residencies, fellowships, and other specialty programs the path to becoming a physician assistant is much less intense.Conclusion If you want the challenges and rewards of being a physician but cant stomach the long educational commitment and large student loans necessary to get there, becoming a physician assistant might be a worthy comp romise.RelatedTop Entry-Level Jobs for Recent College qualittsNurse PractitionerThe reasoning A nurse practitioner is different than a standard registered nurse. Professionals in this job are sometimes referred to as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses. They go through more schooling than RNs, which affords them more autonomy in the workplace. APRNs can perform a lot of the same tasks as physicians, even providing primary care in some situations.The education As with physician assistants, nurse practitioners are afforded many of the professional opportunities physicians have, but with less schooling. Still, APRNs do need a bachelors degree in nursing as well as a masters Nurse Practitioner degree. The masters degree can take two to four years, followed by a certification process to use the APRN title. Its a long process, but still slightly shorter than a physicians since there is no residency.Conclusion Nurse practitioners have a median salary of around $101,000 per year. There is e xpected to be a major shortage APRNs (and all healthcare professionals) in the coming years as the Baby Boomer generation ages. Perhaps the most attractive feature is that individuals working toward nurse practitioner status can take RN jobs after undergrad (median salary $68,450 per year), and then decide if they wish to continue to the higher-paying career path.OrthodontistThe reasoning A properly aligned smile is one of the factors that many people use to define beauty. Well, that kind of beauty starts in an orthodontic office, where highly-trained professionals work to resolve issues with crooked teeth, overbites, and underbites. The process of designing orthodontic treatment strategies is unique for every patient, requiring the use of apparatuses like braces and retainers. The result is a demanding and extremely specialized job, but one that rewards its professionals handsomely. Perks of this job include high pay ($208,000 per year is the median), low stress, incredible work-li fe balance, job flexibility, rewarding relationships with patients, and virtually nonexistent unemployment levels.The education If there is a drawback to becoming an orthodontist, its the education. Most orthodontists start with an undergraduate education, continue to dental school, and finish up with an orthodontic graduate program. The typical timeline is four years of undergraduate study, four years of dental school, and two or three years of graduate work.Conclusion If you are up for more than a decade of education after high school, then the substantial rewards of becoming an orthodontist are worth considering.If you are thinking about one of these fields, make sure to do your homework beforehand. Look for employers in your preferred area and see if they require specific degrees or certifications. Also, look at schools that have widely acclaimed programs for the specialty you wish to pursue. These jobs may be in high demand, but employers will still verify your education to mak e sure youre qualified.Click on the following link for more job-search advice.Grads, are you pursuing one of these careers? A free resume critique will tell you how your resume stacks up.Recommended Reading11 Things to Do in College to Help You Land a JobWhat to Expect From Your First Job Out of College14 Reasons This is the Perfect Recent College Grad Resume